Berlin Techno mainstay Function resurrects his seminal Infrastructure New York imprint with four eclectic cuts across his latest “Green” EP.
If you’re at all familiar with Berlin’s Techno scene, chances are you’ve at least heard of the esteemed producer, DJ, and label head known as Function. Dave Sumner, aka Function, is a founding member of Sandwell District Collective, Ostgut Ton, Tresor, some of Berlin’s most reputable institutions, and has been releasing music for nearly three decades. His latest “Green” EP on his own label, Infrastructure, pays homage to his arrival to the Techno capitol, where his inspiring career first began.
Starting off the EP is the intro track, “Initiation.” A swell of delicate melodic pads and cascading, echoing claps, provides the foundation for a groovy broken beat to emerge. Glimmering, cinematic, and optimistic, this cut bursts with positive emotions—a divergence from what you might expect from the Berghain veteran. The second track, “New Designation,” is a sonic collage of static, unnerving synthesizers, and robotic German speech. Thick like fog, and just as disorienting, this cut sounds more like visiting an unfamiliar, polyphonic environment than a typical Techno track you’d dance to—perhaps meant to convey the feeling of entering an unfamiliar city like Sumner did back when he first arrived in Berlin.
Next is track three, titled “Aeternum (Meridian).” Much like the intro, this cut utilizes evocative synth phrases and a broken beat to create a unique mood that is uplifting and beautiful rather than dark and menacing. Could it work in the club? Certainly, but this project imbues a level of maturity and sophistication that makes it a pleasant listening experience in a broader range of contexts and listening environments. To close things out, the final piece, “Desire and Memory (Live Extraction),” gives fans the pure Techno sound Function has been holding back in this project. Ascending, then descending, a bleeping modular melody creeps its way up, down, and all around. A punchy kick drum provides a hefty dose of bass weight, and suddenly we’re transported to a late night in a Berlin nightclub.
Function’s latest “Green” EP tells the story of his legendary career, and prepares us for more incredible music to come. Support Function with a digital download, or by purchasing a limited vinyl copy of the EP, via his Bandcamp page, linked above.
-Jeronimo Watson
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